Conservatory of Music and Theatrical Declamation
Medium
Bronze, silvered
Dimensions
Diameter: 2 11/16 in. (6.8 cm)
Classification
Medals and Plaquettes
Culture
French
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Samuel P. Avery, 1893
Accession Number
93.10.61
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, medallist Jules-Clément Chap crafted this delicate silvered bronze medal,Conservatory of Music andrical Declamation* (1877), measuring just 2 11/16 inches in diameter. A master of the plaquette form—small, sculptural reliefs popular in Europe for commemorating institutions and events—Chaplain's work exemplifies the Renaissance revival in medal-making, blending intricate engraving with a luminous silver finish that enhances its reflective surfaces and fine details. The medal likely honors the prestigious Paris Conservatoire de Musique et de Déclamation, a cornerstone ...
About the Artist
Jules-Clément Chaplain · 1839–1909
Jules-Clément Chaplain (1839–1909) was a French engraver and medallist who became the most celebrated practitioner of the art medal in late nineteenth-century France. Born in Mortagne-au-Perche in Normandy, he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris under Jouffroy and Oudiné and won the Prix de Rome for engraving in 1863, which enabled him to study in Italy for several years. Chaplain's work...